Nothing but the best
by KillingKathy
Summary: Toudou insists on accompanying him to the airport.


His first protests went unheeded. "Toudou,there's no need to-" He could've not said anything for all the good his second one did. "Seriously, don't." As did the third. "I swear, I'll-" He could've killed Toudou for all the good it could've done.

Much to his dismay, it looked like Toudou was accompanying him to the airport, whether he liked it or not. - It was 4 a.m Sunday morning. Makishima was still in bed, head ducked down between his covers and feet dangling ever so slightly off the edge. He was asleep, and would've _stayed _that way (hopefully for a bit longer) if there hadn't been a sudden burst of fervid knocking on his door; anticipated muffled calls of _Maki-chan! _from the person who it undoubtedly was. At first, he stayed there in his bed; the only movement slow and sleep-induced blinking. _It was way too early for this. _

The knocking didn't stop though, and it was with a reluctant demur that accompanied him all the way down the stairs to answer it. grumbling under his breath about the sheer cruelty of his life.

Sure enough, Toudou Jinpachi was waiting on his doorstep, bright grin already in place. "Good morning, Maki-chan!"

"None of the world is ready for you this early in the morning, Toudou." Makishima yawned hugely, stretching his arms languidly above his head as he headed back to the kitchen. "My flight doesn't even board until 6."

"Which is exactly why you have to go _now_!" Toudou pouted. "You obviously don't understand how airports work, Maki-chan."

"Yeah, yeah." Makishima opened his cupboard and grabbed a white bag of coffee beans, plastic covering crinkling as he did. "Could you put my suitcase by the door? Thanks."

The soft whirr of the coffee maker was familiar to his ears, and Makishima felt a sudden, bitter jolt of realization. _This would be the last time he would make coffee in Japan. _

"Maki-chan? I put your suitcase by the door." Toudou popped his head in the doorway, smile falling when he saw the other's face. "Maki-chan? Are you okay?"

Makishima's arms were stiff, clutching the marble of the kitchen counter tightly; Toudou could see the sharp white of his knuckles. "Yeah, it's nothing."

"..." Toudou headed quietly towards him, wrapping his arms around Makishima's thin waist. He leaned his head against his back, and they stood there in silence, feelings both torn from the upheavals of the dizzying events that had happened in the last few days, mind scattered with fading decisions. "You should get dressed, Maki-chan." Toudou finally said, gripping him tighter.

Makishima nodded, not quite hearing him, head at a slight tilt, still motionless as the coffee maker beeped. "Here." Toudou reached around him and pressed the button, the soft click startling Makishima back to reality. _Would this really be the last time? _

Toudou opened the cupboard, scrabbling around for cups. "Do you have any coffee cream?"

Makishima laughed, the sound sharp and unfamiliar in the moment. "The only reason I even have it here is because of you."

Toudou smiled, the tilt of his mouth so wry and _sad _Makishima didn't know what to do. "Then I guess you could throw it away after today, then."

He didn't know how to reply.

"Are you going to sell this house, Maki-chan?" Toudou asked, pouring a cup of steaming coffee and holding it out for him.

Makishima cupped it carefully in his hands, feeling the impregnable warmth spill over his fingers in a rush of heat.

"My parents probably want to keep it." Makishima mused, sipping.

"I see." Toudou locked eyes with him for a moment, the sparkle back in his blue eyes. "Then, can I take care of the house for you?"

"Kuhah!" Makishima snickered. "You would probably burn it down or something."

"So little faith, Maki-chan!"

"It was well deserved, believe me."

Toudou pouted, then burst out laughing, tipping his head back and letting his hair spill carelessly over his shoulders in a dark wash of blue-back, gold drop of necklace glittering over the deep hollows of his collarbones.

Makishima wondered how much he would miss this when he was gone.

Toudou was lost, lost in his own perpetual motion to notice the counter-rotation of everyone around him as he spun, seemingly content with his own wild, breathless way of life.

"When are you going to change, Maki-chan?" Toudou asked, propping his cheek up on the counter and sipping his own cup of coffee, milky-brown with cream. He surveyed him with fond eyes. "Don't want to miss your flight, right?"

"Yeah." Makishima abruptly set his coffee down and walked out the kitchen, walking up the flight of spiraling stairs and running a careless hand over the burnished banister.

_How should Toudou see him last? _Makishima had decided on dressing normally, a white t-shirt and shorts, but on a last minute impulse, he ran back downstairs to his suitcase and grabbed the yellow striped shirt, with green polka dots going in different directions.

When he got done, Toudou was waiting for him at the door, Makishima's carry-on already slung over his shoulder. He broke out into a grin when he saw him. "You look beautiful, Maki-chan." he breathed, staring into Makishima's eyes with such an intensity that Makishima looked away.

"Don't say that."

Toudou just kept on smiling, opening the door for him. "The people are coming tomorrow to get the rest of your things, right?"

"Mm."

There was silence between them for awhile, walking to the subway station in thin light. "Toudou." Makishima abruptly said. "Why are you so concerned about this anyway?"

_Maybe he was actually disappointed. _Disappointed that Toudou wasn't pleading for him not to go. In the end, did he really mean that much to him?

Toudou stopped.

"...I've known from experience that it's better not to fight fate." he mumbled, ducking his head into the collar of his jacket. "It's not like what I say will change anything, in the end." he shoved his hands in his pockets and continued walking.

The rest of the way to the subway was filled with one-sided conversation, Toudou chatting his ears off about nonsensical things, making up for the time he'd believed they'd lost. Makishima was perfectly content to listen to him, Toudou's arm warm against his as they boarded the train.

He would miss this.

The subtle warmth by his shoulder, the fluctuating rise and fall of his voice, the ocean constantly sparkling in Toudou's wide, wide eyes.

The train roared on, light and scenery blurring into scribbles of smeared color.

"Hey." he finally said, clearing his throat.

Toudou turned to look at him, face expectant. "Yes, Maki-chan?" he prompted when there was no more forthcoming.

"Never mind." Makishima mumbled, turning his face to the other side and feeling a warmth creep onto his cheeks.

Toudou didn't try to press further.

A litany of thoughts skittered in his head, dozens of skies and different edges playing around in his mind, dancing, flying as he reached thoughtlessly for their essence, sucking in a sharp, desperate gasp as he realized that this _really was the end. _

The rest of the train ride passed in a blur.

"Maki-chan." A cool hand clasped around his own, smooth and reassuring. "We're here."

Makishima was silent as he stared at the glass doorways with growing reluctance.

"Maki-chan?" Toudou's voice had an ever-so-slight tremor in it, just the edge of last minute hope. "You know...you don't have to go."

Makishima made the mistake of looking at him. In the rush of the moment, the impassioned pleading of Toudou's eyes, the gravitas of his _presence _was almost enough to make him drop the suitcase and stay in Japan forever.

"Toudou-"

Toudou ducked his head down, toes just shy of Makishima's as he inched closer, grasping his hand. "Let's just go, Maki-chan. Forget I ever said anything." he added as he pulled Makishima through the doorway.

"Don't ever think for a second that I want to leave."

Toudou froze, so much overwhelming emotion building in his belligerent eyes as he looked up to meet his expression. _Then stay. _he seemed to be saying. _Stay. _

"Wasn't that a rhetorical statement, Maki-chan?"

Makishima laughed softly. "I-I suppose."

Toudou's lips trembled for a moment, at the borderline of pride and hurt, and Makishima could do nothing but stare at the speckled tiles on the floor of the airport, at the people walking around them in waves, anywhere except for the blue of Toudou's eyes.

"Let's go, Maki-chan." Toudou repeated, voice hoarse, like he was struggling to keep from saying more. "You don't want to miss your flight, right?"

"I have a gate pass, so I can go in the terminal with you, Maki-chan." Toudou held up a slip of paper from his pocket, suddenly grinning with just the faintest evidence of strain.

"You've really prepared for this, haven't you."

"Nothing but the best for my Maki-chan." Toudou smiled.

There was really nothing said while they waited in the terminal, words fluttering on the tip of Makishima's tongue as he gripped Toudou's hand harder. Toudou kept staring into his eyes, as though trying to brand each feature fiercely into his memory.

He stared back at Toudou, swathes of color swimming in his eyes as he shifted in and out of focus.

_Why did it seem like time was the shortest before something you didn't want? _

"The plane to London, England, is boarding."

They stood up. Makishima turned to Toudou. "Look, listen-"

Toudou wrapped his hands languidly around his neck and kissed him lavishly, fingers twining in his hair and bringing him closer. It was almost a lazy kiss, as if Toudou had all the time in the world and a plane wasn't waiting to take him thousands of miles away.

"If I could, I want to give you all the things in the world."Toudou breathed when they parted, bringing their foreheads together.

There was nothing else to say. There was nothing to describe the sudden, burning feeling in the pit of his stomach, a rush of heat and ice at the same time, but Toudou had made him _always _feel this way, hadn't he?

"I love you." Makishima blurted out, words crumbling in a rush of letters and jumbled emotion. "I love you, Toudou Jinpachi."

Toudou kissed him again, wonderingly, searchingly. "You deserve better, honestly."

Makishima was about to retort when Toudou suddenly _shoved _him in the line of people waiting to get onto the plane. "Goodbye, Maki-chan!" he hollered, waving his hand frantically as Makishima handed his ticket to the flight attendant. "Thank you!"

When Makishima finally reached the airplane, he rushed past all the people gawking at him, hurriedly finding his seat and practically _throwing _his suitcase on the compartment and looking out the window. Sure enough, Toudou was pressed against the glass of the terminal, still waving.

He waved back, mouthing_ I love you _over and over and over again until the plane started moving, tears catching on his eyelashes and falling on his shirt as Toudou became further and further away.

As they went out of view of the airport, Makishima cupped a trembling hand over his mouth, fervently hoping that he wasn't the only one crying.

* * *

This is basically what would've happened if I was the one writing Makishima's departure. But as it turns out, I don't have the ability to write such beautiful characters and establish such a heartbreaking relationship ORZ only Watanabe-sensai can transform these characters to real life QWQ  
Makitou is the death of me


End file.
